Blame It On The Rain, the Radio, and the Heat
by redjagglerock
Summary: Harm, Mac, and the Burnett's on a hot summer afternoon, two weeks before Mac is due to give birth to her first child. One-shot.


_A/N: I was sitting in my car, in traffic, listening to the radio the other day, when it was absolutely, unbearably, hot and humid. "Blame It On The Rain" by someone, who wasn't Milli Vanilli came on, if anyone remembers that whole debacle. When the song was finished, some silly commercial was playing, and I thought the suggestion sounded like a grand idea at the time. I haven't tried it, mind you, but the summer isn't over yet, so who knows! I'm done rambling, I just wanted to share my insight on the inspiration for this little tale._

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**Rabb Residence**

**McLean, VA**

It was a scorching, summer day, in the middle of August, nearing 102 degrees Fahrenheit with the humidity. Mac, and her mother in law, Trish Burnett, were just returning to the house after a relaxing day at the spa. Mac was due to give birth to her first child in two weeks, and Trish couldn't resist spoiling her daughter in law with a morning of pampering. Harm and Mac had insisted that Trish and Frank didn't need to come out this early before the baby was due, but Trish wasn't listening. Even though her only child had a habit of being late for everything, starting with his birth, she firmly believed that her unborn grandchild took after its mother, and was going to come early.

Mac walked into the house and couldn't resist calling out, "Hi Honey, I'm home!"

Harm chuckled from the living room, announcing, "I'm in here, sweetheart."

Mac walked over to properly greet her husband with a loving kiss.

When they parted, Harm rubbed her burgeoning belly, and said, "If that's the kind of greeting I get after you spend the morning with mom, she should visit more often."

Trish laughed, as she entered the living room, "Harmon, I think it had more to do with the relaxing massage that she got from Raymond, more than spending time with me. However, I am happy to take credit for either reason."

Harm cocked his eyebrow, "Raymond?"

Mac wrapped her arms around her neck, and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry Flyboy, his hands don't have the magic touch, like yours do."

Harm rubs his "magic hands" up and down her spine, and replies, "He'd better not, or that man and I will have words."

Mac gives him a soft pat on the six, "You've got nothing to worry about, Sailor."

Trish can't resist chiming in, "Other than he looks like a Cabana boy."

Harm exclaims, "Mom!"

Frank walks in, from the back deck, upon hearing the laughter inside, and goes up to greet his wife. "What's this about a Cabana boy?"

Trish gives him a quick kiss, "Never you mind. Did you boys have a good game of golf?"

Unlike his stepson, Frank is not prone to jealousy, and merely replies, "It's too freaking hot out there! We haven't even been here a week, and I am already missing the La Jolla weather. We only got nine holes in before we were both sweating like pigs. We decided to just chill out in the club, and chat for a while instead."

Trish states, "I don't blame you a bit, it definitely feels like the gates of hell out there." Turning back to her daughter in law, "Mac, go sit on the couch, and put your feet up. I'll get us all some lemonade to help cool us off."

Mac starts to open her mouth to insist she is fine, but Harm is too quick for her, and escorts her over there anyway. She swats his hand away, "Harm! I'm not an invalid!"

He gives her a sweet kiss as he helps her get comfortable, propping a couple throw pillows behind her, and one under her feet. "I know, baby, but my mother is more stubborn than I am. It will just be better for both of us if you listen. I'll go help her, since I know you don't want her doing any work while she is a guest in our home."

Mac sticks her tongue out at his retreating form. He looks over his shoulder, laughing, "I heard that!"

Mac can't help the giggle that sneaks out, "I didn't say anything."

Harm chides, "Yes you did, just not with words."

He turns back towards the kitchen before doing a 180. He looks directly at her from just outside the pantry and teases, "And don't thinking of tossing that cushion over here either!"

Mac rolls her eyes at her husband. She soothingly runs her hands over her extended stomach in circles, trying to calm her unborn child, who is currently performing gymnastics in the womb. She speaks lowly, "I know that your daddy and I are quite silly sometimes. When you are older, and have to deal with Sailors, you will totally understand. But, don't you worry, he loves us unconditionally, and he will always be there whenever we need him."

A few minutes later, Harm grabs two glasses of lemonade off of the kitchen counter, and returns to the living room, to give Mac a glass. He pleasantly finds her sound asleep, lightly snoring on the couch.

He crouches down when he sees her belly moving all over the place, and attempts to soothe his little one in the womb. He lightly places his hands on her baby bump, which of course makes the Marine stir. She questions sleepily, "Harm?"

Harm leans up, and gives her a soft kiss on her forehead, "Go back to sleep, Mac. I was just trying to convince our munchkin to settle down enough so that you can stay asleep."

Mac murmurs, "K, love you," as she returns to her slumber.

Harm heads back into the kitchen, and whispers to his mom and Frank, who are leisurely sitting on the barstools sipping their lemonade, "Mac's asleep. If you want to start making a pasta salad, I'll go warm up the grill. That should give Mac enough time for a decent nap before the smell of dead cow wakes her up."

Trish smiles, "That sounds like a plan. I'm glad she is resting. Whether she wants to admit it, or not, she needs it."

Harm says, "Yes, I know. I just can't tell her that, or I'll be accused of hovering."

Trish pats his arm, "You're a good husband, Harm, and you will make a great father too. You have to keep in mind that you married a Marine, not some girl who needs constant protection. Although I know you have a tendency to be a tad over protective at times, you know darn well that she won't put up with it. As long as you remember to think before opening your mouth, you will be fine."

Harm chuckles at his mothers' advice, "Yeah, yeah! I should have known better than to marry a woman as stubborn as my mother."

Frank tries unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter, as Trish swats Harm on the arm. She pushes Harm out of the kitchen, "Get out on the deck, and start the grill!"

Harm is still smiling as he opens the French doors leading out to the patio. He checks the propane tank, and starts up the grill. After a few minutes, he pokes his head in the door, "Hey Frank, would you mind going out to the freezer in the garage. There should be some veggie burgers on the top shelf, and some butchered animal patties, and hotdogs on the second and third shelves."

Frank laughs at the vegetarian. "Other than the different shelves, how will I be able to tell which patties are which?"

Harm smiles, "Mac's have bread crumbs in them, mine don't!"

Frank replies, "Ah! I figured you would have some way to distinguish them, so that you don't eat dead cow."

Harm shakes his head at the thought, "Not that my wife hasn't tried to get me to eat one of those nasty things, but thus far she has been unsuccessful!"

Frank goes to the freezer for the requested items, and immediately jumps back at the sight of the unexpected items on the bottom of the freezer. He quickly grabs what he was requested to bring out, and slams the door trying to get the mental picture out of his head.

Frank walks back, briskly, through the kitchen, with an unreadable expression on his face, hoping his wife won't notice. He makes it out to the deck, without getting the inquisition from Trish, who thankfully had her head buried in the refrigerator. He isn't as lucky when he reaches Harm.

Harm takes one look at Franks' appearance, and immediately suspects the worst. He exclaims, "Frank, what's wrong?"

Frank places a hand on Harm's bicep, "Relax, everything is fine, but…do you know what it on the bottom shelf of your freezer?"

Harm does the mental calculations, as he places the food on the grill, "Let's see, veggies and MY burgers are on the top, all beef related items on the second shelf, poultry and pork on the third, and various sweets on the bottom."

Frank chokes on the sip of lemonade he just took, and then inquires, "Are all of these sweets edible ones?"

Harm laughs, "I think so. There's ice cream, and popsicles, and cinnamon rolls. Why, what did you come across? Mac didn't put pickles in there again, did she?"

Frank busts out laughing, momentarily forgetting the real item he found, "Pickles?"

Harm shrugs his shoulders, "Don't ask me, ask the pregnant lady."

Franks shudders at the idea of frozen pickles, "No, there weren't any of those. However, there were a few, shall we say, lacy items in there."

Harm looks at him incredulously, he couldn't have possibly heard him correctly, "Did you say lace?"

Frank answers, "Um…yes. There appear to be a few bras on the bottom shelf."

Harm cracks up, "You are kidding me, right?"

Franks shakes his head, "Afraid not, son."

Harm looks down at the grill to flip the burgers, "I don't want to know."

Mac and Trish have ventured outside, catching the last snippet of the conversation. Both men are looking a bit flustered. Mac questions, "Don't want to know what?"

Harm blushes, and starts to open his mouth a few times, but no sound is coming out.

Mac quirks her eyebrow at him in question, her voice slightly raised, "Harm?"

He looks between the two women, both of which have their hands on their hips waiting for an answer, and says, "Why you put bras on the bottom shelf of the freezer in the garage."

Both women erupt in the giggles, and Trish is the first to respond. She tells Mac, "I wish I had thought about that, I considered putting ice in the cups when I was pregnant with him, but I didn't want the wet spots."

Mac continues, like the men aren't standing there listening to every word, "Oh Trish, you have no idea how wonderful it is, especially on a scorcher like today, it really helps to cool you off."

Frank clears his throat as Harm turns the grill off. "Ladies, it appears that your lunch is ready." He looks at Harm, "What do you say we save ours for later? We can go back to the course for those other nine holes?"

Harm looks at his wife, who is still laughing at his expense, "You know what Frank, that sounds like a great idea. Let me grab my keys."

Mac looks at Trish conspiratorially with a gleam in her eye, before remarking, "Harm, it's going to be pretty hot out there, maybe you should take one of the bras with you to keep you cool!"

As Harm stomps towards the driveway, shaking his head at his wife, and thoroughly embarrassed, the melodic laughter from the two women still on the deck can still be heard when the men leave the house.

THE END


End file.
